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In the hellscape of the movie business, very little can evade the overseeing eye of the studio system. In Paramount, Taylor Sheridan never had to face an issue of a similar sort regarding the expansion of theYellowstoneuniverse. But when the same studio forced its decision upon an artist of his caliber, he made sure to make the execs bleed as much as necessary to make their demands come true.
![Taylor Sheridan [Credit: Paramount Network]](https://i2.wp.com/fwmedia.fandomwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/08113332/Taylor-Sheridan-Credit-Paramount-Network-4.jpeg)
Taylor Sheridan [Credit: Paramount Network]The creation of greatness needs time and Sheridan had plenty on his hands while charting outYellowstone. However, the Bosque Country cowboy was never one to slow down or pace himself. By churning out scripts at a pace that would shame even the most skilled stenographers, Paramount’sYellowstonespin-off was proof that Rome could truly be built in a day… if the architect was named Taylor Sheridan.
Yellowstone‘s Origin Story Put Taylor Sheridan Through Hell
It is not every day that one of the Big Five dances to the tune of a new cowboy wrangler with nothing to show for himself, other than a couple of TV shows and a hunger for more. WithWind River,Hell or High Water,Sicario, and some Oscar nominations,Taylor Sheridanfirmly established himself in the industry, securing a place for both his future andYellowstone‘s arc.
Isabel May and Tim McGraw in1883[Credit: Paramount Network]However, the success of the epic Western also bred the need for an origin story, and the studio’s plan to stay ahead of the audience’s demands backfired when Sheridan made sure they felt every bit of the pressure that the execs put him under, by asking to deliver the impossible.
![Isabel May and Tim McGraw in 1883 [Credit: Paramount Network]](https://i2.wp.com/fwmedia.fandomwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/08113324/1883-%E2%80%93-Isabel-May-and-Tim-McGraw-Credit-Paramount-Network.jpeg)
1883: Even Taylor Sheridan’s Perfectionism Couldn’t Save Yellowstone Spin-Off from Making 1 Egregious Historical Error That’s Hard to Defend
During the premiere of1883, the creator revealed the extent to which Paramount was willing to go in order to keep the supply-demand chain moving. Although the story miraculously presented itself to him after meeting the lead actress, Isabel May, by accident, the production of1883on the other hand was a radically brutal event in and of itself.
Taylor Sheridan Made Paramount Pay in Kind for1883
While speaking to his audience on the opening night of1883in Wynn Las Vegas, Taylor Sheridan revealed [viaDeadline]:
I was going off to do Mayor of Kingstown, but I had written the pilot episode of 1883. The studio read it April 12, and I was flying out May 2 to go film another TV show in another country. [ViacomCBS exec] Keyes [Hill-Edgar] calls and says, ‘We can hang our hat on this, launch our streaming service with it.’ I say, ‘That’s great.’ He says, ‘We need it this year.’ I said ‘Keyes, that’s not possible, I can start production in February, maybe.’ He said, ‘No Taylor, we need it to air this year.’
A still of Isabel May as Elsa Dutton in 1883 [Credit: Paramount Network]Despite the thorough impossibility of airing a whole series within a year that hadn’t been developed yet, Sheridan rolled up his sleeves and like a true cowboy raised under the weathered sun, faced his problems head-on expecting nothing but results:
It was impossible to have something air in seven months that wasn’t cast, with no locations, and no other scripts. I said this first episode I’ve written is the best thing I’ve ever written. If I can’t have the time to make it right, I need everything else. I need the toys, I need the cast, I need the team. You will need to trust me, and it’s going to hurt. And I did not hear the word no, at all.
![A still of Isabel May as Elsa Dutton in 1883 [Credit: Paramount Network]](https://i2.wp.com/fwmedia.fandomwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/08113316/1883-%E2%80%93-A-still-of-Isabel-May-as-Elsa-Dutton-Credit-Paramount-Network.jpg)
“I let God do a lot of the CGI”: Taylor Sheridan Risked a Lot for His Yellowstone Spin-Off ‘1883’ to Film a Scene During a Real Storm for Authenticity
What was borne out of Sheridan’s mind as a result was yet another brilliant piece of television, withIsabel Maystarring as the lead.1883ran for a single season, the ending of which was shocking enough for the Paramount execs to demand a continuation of the story.
1923was then developed on Sheridan’s wishes to not stretch out a story that had already been completed, and instead to look ahead toward another generation of the Duttons, starringHarrison FordandHelen Mirren. It was enough to pacify the execs at the time, and Taylor Sheridan, as usual, came out on top.
Yellowstone, 1883,and1923are available for streaming on Paramount+
Diya Majumdar
Senior Writer
Articles Published :2410
Diya Majumdar is a Senior Content Writer at FandomWire with over 2000 published articles on the website. Since 2022, she has been working as an entertainment journalist with a special focus on films and pop culture.Among the countless genres and themes of Hollywood, the ones that particularly favor Diya’s tastes include Game of Thrones, DC, and well-aged thrillers and classics.
